Communications systems exist that filter offensive or other types of prohibited content (e.g. text, images, audio, video, etc.) and block it from reaching recipients. Typically, these systems filter and block such content by recognizing the sender as one of a group of “black list” senders and/or by recognizing communications data that includes offensive or prohibited content. In some systems, a system administrator or an automated system itself can remove the prohibited content and/or replace it with acceptable forms. These filtering systems are especially useful for parental controls and for reducing the amount of spam that would otherwise plague email users. However, current systems are not designed to allow users to recognize and potentially block content they themselves intend to transmit to recipients.
Over a billion individuals use social media to communicate with “friends” and followers. The dark side of these one-to-many communication tools is the damage that can be done when a user, perhaps during a lapse of judgment, sends a message containing content that is offensive, objectionable, controversial, or prohibited, thus causing damage to the sender's reputation.
However, content that is considered routine by one community may be deemed distasteful by another. Epithets that are commonly used by a member of a group may be judged harshly when used by an outsider to that group. For that reason, in order to more accurately identify potentially offensive content, it may be advantageous to examine the content, while knowing the identity of the sender and the intended recipients.